Overview

Reluctant Assassin, The

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Readers mourning the end of the Artemis Fowl series can take heart: this first book in the time-bending W.A.R.P. series is an all-out blast. And its stars—17-year-old Chevie Savano, a quasi-disgraced FBI agent (of sorts), and Riley, the reluctant young assassin of the title—are every bit as dynamic as Artemis and Holly. After a bungled mission, Chevie has been sent to London where she is “babysitting a metal capsule,” which she learns is one end of a wormhole to the year 1898, when Riley (and a corpse) materialize, direct from the Victorian era. Riley has been raised by Albert Garrick, a magician turned killer-for-hire; as Garrick follows Riley to the present day, intent on changing the course of history, Riley and Chevie must use every bit of their expertise to take him down. Colfer blends grisly moments of horror, sharply funny dialogue, science fiction spectacle, and characters with depth to create a story that strikes the ideal balance between escapist fun and thoughtful commentary on the ways history, both personal and global, can shape a person. Ages 10–up. Agent: Ed Victor, Ltd. (May)

From the Publisher

PRAISE FOR THE RELUCTANT ASSASSIN"

One of the most engaging aspects of Colfer's books is the brilliantly witty and imaginative plots that he devises. This book is no exception. The characters are vividly drawn and entertaining...Colfer also incorporates some steampunk elements into the setting, which amps up the appeal. Fans of his other books will love this new addition and eagerly await the next installment in the series."VOYA

PRAISE FOR THE RELUCTANT ASSASSIN"

This science-fiction thriller provides readers with a breathless ride through modern and Victorian Londons as these two resourceful teens struggle to stay alive and one step ahead their pursuer...the intricate plot, strong writing, and intrepid characters who must survive by their wits will make it hard to put down."School Library Journal

PRAISE FOR THE RELUCTANT ASSASSIN"

Readers mourning the end of the Artemis Fowl series can take heart: this first book in the time-bending W.A.R.P. series is an all-out blast."Publishers Weekly (starred review)

PRAISE FOR THE LAST GUARDIAN

"A fitting end to a brilliantly conceived and developed series."Kirkus

PRAISE FOR THE RELUCTANT ASSASSIN"

fascinating high-octane thriller"ALA Booklist

Children's Literature - Mary Thompson

From the man who brought us the popular "Artemis Fowl" books, comes a new wickedly fun and deviously intricate science fiction series featuring a wormhole machine; a teen almost-FBI agent called Chevron; Garrick, a magician turned assassin; his young assistant, Riley; and W.A.R.P., the Witness Anonymous Relocation Program. The FBI has been using a time machine to transport high profile witnesses to Victorian London until it is safe to return them for their trials. But with all great technological advances, there are glitches. Mutations keep popping up among those returning from the past. The current problem lies with the crime banker named Terry Carter, who has decided that life in the past, where anonymity is to his advantage, is much more preferable. He changes his name to Tibor Charismo and sets up a nice little crime network for himself using the ready supply of waifs and criminals on the streets of Victorian London. Complete success at this enterprise requires eliminating all those from the future who can identify him including the scientist who created W.A.R.P. and Riley's FBI parents. He employs the service of the notorious assassin, Garrick. Riley escapes into the future followed by his master and chaos ensues as Victorian and modern day London collide with spectacular results. Colfer creates villains worthy of hatred and reluctant heroes destined to become favorites. The nonstop action, crazy science, mobsters from both centuries, and the shear genius of the plot execution will have kids craving the next installment. Reviewer: Mary Thompson

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old FBI agent Chevron Savano thought her time in London would be an exercise in boredom, but between dead scientists, scrappy would-be assassins, and a malevolent Victorian illusionist, boredom may be the least of her worries. The FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (W.A.R.P.)-where time travel is used to hide witnesses in other times-has gone horribly wrong. Fourteen-year-old Riley must kill or be killed by his assassin master, but the teen is spared when his target turns out to be from the future and he's inadvertently transported from Victorian times to present-day England. Unfortunately, the orphan's murderous master, Albert Garrick, follows the boy, and his trip through the portal gives him knowledge and abilities that only make him more dangerous than ever. Garrick will do everything in his power to reclaim his apprentice and the Timekey that Chevie possesses. This science-fiction thriller provides readers with a breathless ride through modern and Victorian Londons as these two resourceful teens struggle to stay alive and one step ahead their pursuer. This offering is darker, bloodier, and much more serious in tone than the author's popular "Artemis Fowl" series (Hyperion). It may not be for the faint of heart, but the intricate plot, strong writing, and intrepid characters who must survive by their wits will make it hard to put down. Readers who enjoy Anthony Horowitz's "Alex Rider" series (Philomel) and Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan (S & S, 2009) are sure to enjoy this nonstop adventure.—Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

Colfer opens a new series that promises to be every bit as brisk and violent as Artemis Fowl--this one featuring travelers using steampunk-style time machines for (usually) evil purposes. Chevron Savano is a teenager of Shawnee descent trained as an FBI agent in an ill-fated anti-terrorist program (and named, as it turns out, for a gas station). He hooks up with Riley, a 19th--century lad trained in the killing arts by Victorian-era master assassin/stage magician Albert Garrick. Their purpose? Simply to stay alive, as a secret device that opens wormholes between past and present but sometimes causes weird mutations in those who use it has turned Garrick into a shape-changing supergenius. He now has modern memories and a new, horrifying agenda that requires the Timekey Chevie carries around her neck. The plot moves back and forth between modern times and 1898 London (or an alternate, as in his lurid descriptions of the city's festering stews the author makes several seemingly offhand references to "slum cannibals"). The chase hurtles along through washes of gore and less wholesome substances to a massively explosive resolution. Riley and the "Injun princess," as she is repeatedly dubbed, make reasonably resourceful protagonists, but the scary, casually murderous Garrick really steals the show. A ghoulish thriller: melodramatic and tongue-in-cheek, sometimes both at once. (Science fiction. 11-14)